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The 7:3 Pledge of Loyalty
is the twentieth episode of the Nurarihyon no Mago anime. Summary At nighttime over Ukiyoe Town, the clouds loom in a spiral as large groups of Yōkai from the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō in all directions gather to meet Inugamigyōbu Tamazuki. The next day at Ukiyoe Middle School, Rikuo, Yuki Onna and Aotabō recall Tamazuki’s promise not to target the Humans, but express their need to increase their guard as the Yōkai aura is more intense than ever. Meanwhile, Kiyotsugu expresses his anger for being unable to spot a single Yōkai while his website is being flooded with posts pertaining to Yōkai sightings across Ukiyoe Town. Saori and Natsumi call him lucky for not having spotted any yet, recalling how scary they were to them. Kiyotsugu then resolves with Shima to keep looking for Yōkai and calls for the Kiyojūji Paranormal Investigation Squad to have another training camp at the Nura House. Everyone, even Shima, objects to Kiyotsugu’s proposal. Meanwhile, Kana, sitting next to Yura, feels stressed and stares at the spiralling clouds outside the classroom windows. At the Yamaguchi Holy Shrine in Shikoku that night, Inugamigyōbu Danuki sits with Nurarihyon as Mamedanuki is now the one chasing Nattō Kozō around. Inugamigyōbu Danuki tells Nurarihyon of his son’s possession of a legendary treasure. Nurarihyon guesses this treasure to be the Maō's Hammer, to which Inugamigyōbu Danuki explains that he is not sure if that’s the one, but recalls Tamazuki having became less caring of his comrades ever since he acquired this treasure. Meanwhile, Tamazuki addresses the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō from a balcony in the Ukiyoe Town Skyscraper and reveals a sword with a purple aura to the crowd of Yōkai. Tearai Oni reveals this sword to be the Maō's Hammer and the crowd of Yōkai cower in fear. The Nura House is under heavy surveillance tonight, as many Nura Clan Yōkai are on guard. On his way inside for a meeting with Gyūki, Karasu Tengu, Zen and Rikuo, Mokugyo Daruma observes the spiralling clouds overhead. They note the seriousness of the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō as they amass over Ukiyoe Town. Gyūki predicts an all-out attack on the Nura Clan. Rikuo quietly asserts his need to keep the Nura Clan unified while his grandfather Nurarihyon is gone as his grandson. Seeing Shōei sit outside, Yuki Onna approaches him. Shōei explains that he would’ve rather blended in with the Humans and live in peace than stay in the world of Yōkai, that is, if his father weren’t murdered. Recalling this, Shōei expresses his discontent as he thinks that no one, not even Rikuo, encouraged him to stand up for his father. Yuki Onna becomes worried of Shōei. Back at the Ukiyoe Town Skyscraper, Tamazuki thanks the Seven Phantom Travelers for destroying most of the local deities around Ukiyoe Town, and for giving him a chance to see how powerful the Nura Clan is. He reveals to Inugami that he was used merely to provoke Rikuo and measure his strength, to which Inugami feels frustrated that he wasn’t given the chance to finish him off. Tamazuki confirms that he’ll have the chance to. In the the moonlight in front of Inugami, Tamazuki’s transforms and his hair grows. In the Nura House at night, with all the Yōkai sleeping in a common room, Shōei quietly walks past, waking up Yuki Onna inside. Also waking up, Kejōrō asks her what’s wrong. Yuki Onna claims feeling uneasy, to which Kejōrō agrees with all the bad Yōkai aura surrounding them. Shōei is revealed to have searched for the Ukiyoe Town Skyscraper where the Shikoku Yōkai have taken over. He finds dark clouds swirling over the skyscraper and promises to avenge his father. Inside, he finds the Shikoku Yōkai staring at him with hostility. A figure with a deep voice from within wonders who trampled in, to which Shōei claims they are already invading Nura Clan territory and that he doesn’t need to tell them his name. From above Shōei, the figure, revealed as Tearai Oni oversized, vows to kill Shōei as he stomps on him. Blood flies out of his mouth, and Shōei is seriously injured. In a flashback at the Nura House, Hihi looks after Shōei’s bonsai trees while Shōei trains next to him. Hihi reveals to Shōei that he joined the Nura Clan because he came to admire Supreme Commander Nurarihyon, claiming that he’d lose against him even though he’s physically stronger than him. Hihi calls him a true Yōkai that is still able to understand the human heart. Shōei didn’t understand what his father meant. Hihi tells him just to follow his own path and that he’ll understand what he said someday. Looking back at that moment, Shōei asks for forgiveness from his father. Tearai Oni, noticing Shōei still alive, pushes his foot down on Shōei, then lifts his foot up for one final stomp to crush Shōei to his death. Just then, in front of Tearai Oni, the Sanba Garasu appear to take on Tearai Oni and rescue Shōei. Kuroumaru slashes Tearai Oni’s face with his staff while Tosakamaru and Sasami carry Shōei. Kuroumaru tells Tearai Oni off for invading Nura Clan territory and the Sanba Garasu fly off with Shōei. Tearai Oni tells them to stop, but Tamazuki stops him with the Maō's Hammer and urges him to let them go. Irritated, Tearai Oni reverts to his original size, while Tamazuki declares a settlement in their final battle with the Nura Clan. Back at the Nura House, Rikuo rushes over to Shōei to find Yuki Onna and the Sanba Garasu tending to his injuries. Shōei is resting on the ground. Kuroumaru explains to Rikuo that Shōei wandered into the Shikoku Yōkai hideout alone. In a subsequent meeting with Mokugyo Daruma, Gyūki, Karasu Tengu and Zen, Rikuo suffers a breakdown and blames himself for what happened to Shōei. Zen angrily denies Rikuo being at fault, claiming Shōei would’ve admitted it to be his fault for going alone to confront the Shikoku Yōkai. Rikuo is lost and doesn’t know what to do. Zen then urges him to fight with his own Hyakki Yakō. Gyūki, Mokugyo Daruma and Karasu Tengu all claim that they all pledged their loyalty to Supreme Commander Nurarihyon and Rikuo’s father in the past and that Rikuo needs to form his own Hyakki Yakō. Zen instructs Rikuo to exchange Sakazuki not as equals as he did with himself, but in a 7 to 3 portion between master and servant. With a lack of confidence, Rikuo raises the problem of him only able to transform into his Yōkai form at night, and that no one would want to be a servant to him for that. Zen suddenly grabs him and angrily urges him to show some heart, to which Rikuo insists that he hates how he is and wants to help. He grabs Zen’s arm, to which Zen smiles and proclaims that Rikuo is who he is, and that he can still lead a Hyakki Yakō, no matter what form he takes on. Later, Wakana is seen folding laundry in a room. She spots sakura petals flying down from above and spots Rikuo outside the room. She asks what Rikuo is doing so late, to which Rikuo claims nothing and walks off. Wakana smiles at him. In front of the sakura tree in the Nura House courtyard under falling petals, Rikuo pulls out his katana and looks at himself in the reflection. In a flashback set a few years ago under the sakura tree, Rikuo tries to follow his grandfather with a Hyakki Yakō and about to leave. Nurarihyon stops him, claiming he is too young to understand the supernatural powers of the Yōkai. Rikuo recalls being the grandson of Nurarihyon, to which Nurarihyon agrees and proclaims that he can do anything he wants at his discretion. Recalling this, Rikuo expresses his need to make sure no one gets hurt anymore and raises his sword. Next to him are Yuki Onna, Aotabō, Kubinashi and Kurotabō smiling at him, in anticipation of exchanging Sakazuki with him as told by Zen. As Karasu Tengu pours the sake, the four pledge their unconditional loyalty to Rikuo. Yuki Onna is the first to exchange Sakazuki with Rikuo. She notices a sakura petal land onto her cup and drinks the sake. Staring at Rikuo, Yuki Onna hallucinates his Yōkai form expressing his confidence with her. Upon seeing Rikuo in his Human form again, she snaps out and claims nothing happened. Aotabō, Kurotabō and Kubinashi subsequently exchange Sakazuki with Rikuo while Karasu Tengu starts to sob. From above, Gozumaru and Mezumaru stare at them and walk off. As daybreak approaches, Rikuo’s Human form encounters his Yōkai form sitting on the sakura tree. His Yōkai form has become aware that his Human form wanted to start his own Hyakki Yakō. His Yōkai form wonders what his Human form can do, to which his Human form claims that it’s hard to be like him. He proclaims that he wishes to protect both Humans and Yōkai, and that he can’t let his Yōkai form take over him against that. His Yōkai form proposes to take care of the Yōkai, while he his other form can take care of the Humans. His Human form wishes someday to see the world from the branch his Yōkai form sits on all the time. His Yōkai form claims he’s still too young for that and calls him a kid, then disappears in the form of sakura petals. From behind him, Shōei is out of bed and trying to stand up. Rikuo tries to stop him, but Shōei still wishes to leave. Hearing this, Rikuo offers to join him to confront the Shikoku Yōkai and claims that the fight he can’t win alone can be won together as a Hyakki Yakō. As Rikuo transforms in front of Shōei, his Yōkai form tells him not to die as the Shikoku Yōkai are worthless and that they are family. His Human form agrees, and finally he is fully transformed into his Yōkai form and tells Shōei to go avenge his father while he covers his back. As his newly sworn members rush to meet him, Rikuo declares the beginning of the formation of his new Hyakki Yakō. From a corner, Gyūki, Karasu Tengu, Mokugyo Daruma and Zen watch as Rikuo forms his new Hyakki Yakō. Karasu Tengu finds his new Hyakki Yakō rather small, but Mokugyo Daruma insists that it will grow in time, while Zen wishes him well. Meanwhile, Shōei declares to his father that he has found the path he wishes to take. At the Ukiyoe Town Skyscraper, Tamazuki and Inugami watch the sun rise. Inugami vows to murder Rikuo, while Tamazuki declares the beginning of their war with the Nura Clan. Next episode preview Saori realizes that Shima is representing Japan in world soccer. Shima adds that he represents the Under-14 group. Saori asks Shima what he’s doing looking for Yōkai, to which Shima fails to answer. Saori tells Shima to focus on soccer instead. Characters in order of appearance Category:Episodes